The Lions have two free agents on the interior of their offensive line, but at least they have three more years of Frank Ragnow. They do, right?
After playing through a debilitating toe injury the past two seasons and adding back, knee and ankle injuries to the list this season, Ragnow, wittingly or not, raised some doubts about his NFL future when he said on locker room clean-out day last week that putting his body through so much pain "takes a toll on you."
"It really takes a toll on you, so I need to find a way to get back to Frank," he said. "I don’t regret any of this at all, but it weighs on you and it’s just going to take some time to figure everything out to make sure that I’m feeling good, not only for me the football player but for me to be the best husband and the best father as well."
Ragnow, 27, and his wife welcomed their first child shortly before the start of this season, his sixth in Detroit. He's under contract through 2026 at $13.5 million per year, which makes him the second-highest-paid center in the NFL behind Jason Kelce, who's mulling retirement.
It would be a shock to see Ragnow step away at this point in his career. This is the same player who said just last month that Brad Holmes and the Lions "signed me to this extension a few years ago and I want to be fulfilling that." He just completed the first season of the four-year, $54 million deal.
"I don’t want to be that guy who gets paid and isn't doing that stuff," Ragnow said. "I want to be out there finding a way to win."
"He’ll aways be out there if we’re out there," said right tackle Penei Sewell.
"I feel like a little bit of him is like, paranoia to not be out there with us," said left tackle Taylor Decker, "because we’ve been through so much together. So if he can be out there, we know he’s going to be out there. And not only that, he’s the best center in football."
But if there's concern that Ragnow might walk away, Holmes didn't exactly quell it at his end-of-season press conference Monday. Asked if he's worried about Ragnow retiring, the Lions GM said, "Look, Ragnow, there's only one of them on the planet, in my opinion."
"But I have so much respect for him and for everything that he goes through and fights through that I’m just respectful of his time and his thoughts. And we’re not going to pressure him to do anything or make any moves. But the communication will be diligent. It’ll be thorough, it’ll be respectful," Holmes said.
In all likelihood, Ragnow just needs more time this offseason to get healthy. That will make him happier at home, where he can fully embrace life away from football. Less time getting treatment on his body, which felt like an around-the-clock need this season, means more time being a husband and father. He skipped the Pro Bowl last week to get a jumpstart on an offseason of rest and recovery.
It bears mention that Ragnow was already talking about the future last week. Asked if he's able to appreciate what the Lions did this season a day removed from their 34-31 loss to the 49ers in the NFC title game, Ragnow said that "the biggest blessing might end up being the negative."
"The fact that that happened and hopefully we can manifest that, harness that and turn that into something special," he said.
Anchored by Ragnow, the Lions' offensive line was the engine of a team that won the NFC North for the first time ever and finished with a franchise-best 14 wins. After waiting his entire career to play for a contender, it's incredibly hard to imagine Ragnow calling it quits now. That's the one thing he unequivocally is not: a quitter. And that's likely how he would view walking away.
The Lions do have work to do up front, with starting guards Jonah Jackson and Graham Glasgow slated to hit free agency. Both need raises, a substantial one in the case of Jackson, or they'll be playing for new teams next season. Glasgow has already said he and the Lions would like to extend their reunion, and Ragnow has vouched for his longtime teammate to get the payday he deserves after arguably the best season of his career.
Holmes said Monday that maintaining the strength of the offensive line is "extremely important" to the Lions' success moving forward.
"That’s what our team is, our offensive line," he said. "Being able to protect the quarterback and run the football like we do, that’s extremely important. So, that’s definitely going to be an area that will not be overlooked. As good as it has been in the past, it’s definitely going to be a point of emphasis still.”
And the centerpiece, in all probability, will remain No. 77.